Missing the Best Part

Becky Dobie

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest.

She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said.

But Martha was distracted with all the preparations she had to make, so she came up to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Tell her to help me.”
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38 - 42

Growing up, my mum would often say

“If I sit still, I won’t get up again”.

She was (and still is) always on the go.

She’s always gone above and beyond to keep the household together, so much so that she was known for hardly ever being able to sit down with us and watch a film in its entirety.

She was often up and about throughout the film to either do the washing up or put the next load of laundry in the washing machine.

My dad, my sister and I would often get frustrated and say “can’t it wait until the end of the film?” then we’d shout into the kitchen,

“you’re missing the best part!”

We longed for her to be with us to share the experience and to sit still with us.

There is absolutely a time and a place for being productive and to serve those whom we love with acts of service, but it’s often in the moments of stillness with one another where relationships can deepen.

This is what God longs for with us too.

In the story of Mary and Martha, Jesus made clear that preparing the house was not the priority. but sitting still at Jesus’ feet was, in fact, “the best part” and Martha was missing out.

Today, take some time, even if it’s only five minutes, to sit at the feet of Jesus. Stop trying to get through your to-do list and pray. When you pray, try not to ask God for anything but his presence. God longs for you to be still with him.